Pencils and Process With Jesse Lane

Some artists make more than art; they also make the tools and equipment to help them in the creative process. In this Three for Thursday, we spoke with Jesse Lane, who is known for his hyper realistic works in colored pencil.

What is one of the “secret weapons” in your studio? Something unique?

I recently built what I call “The Pencil Palette. ” It’s a cabinet that stands next to my easel that organizes nearly 1,000 different colors of colored pencil. It has a built-in pencil sharpener, pull-out tray and shelves for storage below. My laptop with my reference photo sits on top of the cabinet as I work. It took me a month to make the cabinet, but it has been so worth it. It’s made it much easier to find colors and compare colors. It’s like picking a colored pencil right off the color wheel! I don’t consider myself a woodworker, but my father certainly is. He started teaching me about carpentry when I was little. When I want something that doesn’t exist, I can build it from my imagination. It’s also great to custom build things for a specific space. There are many items in my studio that my father or I built, or we built together.

If you had to pick just one tool/material as a mainstay—the “can’t live without” tool/material—what would that be?

Photoshop has been transformative for me. Colored pencil is a very slow and unforgiving medium, so it’s helpful to be able to create a rough draft of my pieces in Photoshop before starting them. I first tried Photoshop in college when I wanted to add a background to a photo reference. My references often look like collages that were obviously painted on top of. Most of what I’m trying to capture is the compositional design and the lighting. I look at other separate reference photos for details.

What is a new (or newish) art material that has really got you excited?

My easel! That sounds silly, but most colored pencil artists work at a table of some sort. I’ve found it much easier to see what the overall image looks like when I can simply step back and see it. I got a great easel a few months ago, and I don’t think I’ll ever work flat again. Before using an easel I thought the angle would be a challenge. There was a learning curve, but it got comfortable very quickly. Using an easel has helped me to be bolder with my technique since I can see what’s happening as I’m working. I also work quicker. The final artwork looks more cohesive.

Meet the Artist

Jesse Lane is a professional artist from Houston, known for stunning hyper-realistic portraits and works of imaginative realism. Jesse’s numerous national and international honors include the top award from the Colored Pencil Society of America, the CIPPY. He’s represented by RJD Gallery in Romeo, Michigan. He also loves teaching, and shares his colored pencil secrets through videos and online workshops. Visit him at jesselaneart.com, facebook.com/jesselaneart and instagram.com/jesselaneart.